Pages

Thursday, 21 November 2013

McGregor wins the Steelcase Dragon Run in Hong Kong over a great field

Although at this point in the week we still have no official results or pictures photos of the race (at least we haven't found them), we have been able to gather some information about one of the surfski races with more caché of the season, the Steelcase Dragon Run in Hong Kong.

With most of the best discipline paddlers, the 24 kilometer race had three very different phases. A first in which all the favorites, mainly Australians and South Africans, formed a compact group heading the first turn, with the wind coming from the left. A big bunch of paddlers seeking protection aside of the opponents of the always uncomfortable side waves.

After a 90-degree turn to the right, the next 15 km race was a proper downwind which gradually broke up the group, where the paddlers started to look for the best swells. Jeremy Cotter (AUS) led the race for some time at this point. McGregor, however, was going further west, but keeping an eye on the aussie. The consistent rhythm of the South African eventually give the him some advantage while Cotter suffered to keep his position, perhaps paying the previous kilometers effort .

Arrived to the second and final turn, around the cape to enter the South bay of Hong Kong, McGregor led by about one minute. The last three kilometers of the race could be tricky, as inside the bay conditions were flat and the previous downwind could have made the arms very stiff. But McGregor found himself fit and had no problem reaching the finish line and claiming the $ 5,000 prize for the winner. Behind him, the Australians Tim Jacobs and Michael Booth had overpassed his compatriot Cotter, managing both to get on the podium in that order. After Cotter, fourth, the South African Navy entered in line, with the Mocke brothers, Matt Bouman and Sean Rice. The world champion didn't have his best day in China Sea waters.

Unfortunately we don't have the full list of results or information about the women, just the top eight men: